Words of Welcome

2 Peter 1:16-21 The season of Epiphany begins with a star guiding the Magi to the home of the Holy Family. It closes with Jesus standing on a mountain, his glory revealed to his disciples, and his mission confirmed by a voice from heaven. As we gather here on Transfiguration Sunday, we’re invited to consider the question: Who is this Jesus?  According to Matthew Jesus ascended the Mount of Transfiguration in the company of Peter, James, and John. When they reached the summit, Jesus was transfigured, so that  “his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white.” Then they were met by Moses and Elijah. Even though Peter had proclaimed Jesus to be the messiah and Son of God only a few days earlier, he and his colleagues were overwhelmed by this sight. Then to top it off, a voice from heaven called out: “This is my Son, the Beloved, with him I am well pleased; listen to him” ( Matt 17:1-8, Matt 16:16 ). This morning we encounter an abridged version of

Marc Chagall's "The Praying Jew"  Psalm 119:1-8 Last Sunday’s sermon ended with an invitation: “If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.” Just so you know, I wasn’t asking for applause. But,  what better way to start a sermon that mentions true happiness than by offering the same invitation? So, “If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands!” When it comes to happiness, the Declaration of Independenc e asserts:   We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. According to Thomas Jefferson and his colleagues, the “pursuit of happiness” is a self-evident and unalienable right endowed to us by our Creator. Jefferson never explained what he meant by this, but the pursuit of happiness appears to be a natural right. The emphasis should be placed on the word “pursuit.” So, are

Psalm 112:1-9 Back in the day, when I was in high school, we often sang this happy song at Bible Study. It goes like this: It’s a happy day and I thank God for the weather. It’s a happy day and I’m living it for my Lord. It’s a happy day and things are gonna get better,   Living each day by the promises in God’s Word.  (Gary Pfeiffer) There’s a second verse to the song that talks about having a grumpy day because we’re living it for ourselves instead of the Lord. I’m going to forgo singing that verse and stick with the happy verse. I will say this, both verses talk about the weather, which leads me to believe that the songwriter lived in Southern California near the beach.  The Psalmist has called on us to “Praise the Lord” because “happy are those who fear the Lord, who greatly delight in his commandments.” So, are you happy?  There’s another happy song that you may have learned at some point in time. That song invites us to clap our hands if we’re

Micah 6:1-8 Don’t let the sermon title fool you. This is not a sermon about the famous Charles Dicken’s novel that some of you read during high school, but which I seem to have avoided. Nevertheless, according to Scripture, God has placed great expectations on God’s people. God is gracious and merciful, but God also sets a high bar for us. Here in the sixth chapter of Micah, an eighth-century prophet who lived outside Jerusalem, reveals God’s Great Expectations.  The words we find in the eighth verse of this chapter are well known to us. They tell us what is good and what God requires of us. According to Micah, God would have us “do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.” We hear these words in the context of a divine lawsuit that God brings against the people. The jury for this case is the mountains and the hills. Nature itself will hear and decide God’s case against Israel. When God stands before this jury, God asks the people, who